


Love on Violet Wings

by trulywicked



Category: Naruto
Genre: Love at First Sight, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Wingfic, do not copy to another site, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22664719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trulywicked/pseuds/trulywicked
Summary: The first time Sakumo saw Orochimaru he was struck dumb. The second time wasn't much better. The third? Well he might as well resign himself to being rendered insensate in the face of the lethal beauty but was it too much to ask for his wings to behave themselves?
Relationships: Hatake Sakumo/Orochimaru
Comments: 142
Kudos: 797





	1. Hello Lovely

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Coil and Croon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670051) by [Kalira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira). 



> I blame this on the fantastic [Kalira's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira) fic collection Coil & Croon that has sucked me **deep** into SakuOro land. Absolutely her fault.  
> For reference of Oro's wing color I present to you the [Violet-Backed Starling](https://roseunspindle.tumblr.com/post/187852886822/violet-backed-starling).

"It's just weird. I mean sure they molted out all sleek and shit but he's got feathers!"

Sakumo didn't glance up from where he was sharpening his tanto, listening with half an ear as his friend croaked about the wings of the teammate Sakumo hadn't met before. "Why is that strange? Everyone has feathers, Jiraiya."

"But it's Oro! He's more snake than human! I swear he has a tank full of mice at home he uses as snacks." Jiraiya's nose wrinkled in distaste at the idea of eating a mouse. "That's not like you chowing down on a raw rabbit. He just, one nip and the head's off then he swallows the rest whole. And he gets so sluggish when it's cold, that mission to Yuki I swear he spent it half in a coma. I was _sure_ when Oro's wings sprouted they'd be scaly or leathery like a dragon or something! But when the outer membrane split after they grew it was feathers. It was two ridiculous puffballs of gray fluff! Then they were molting and it got everywhere, I found down in my morning miso I swear to you, and the flight feathers are purple. Purple! Like naturally purple. I've never seen anything with purple feathers before, usually feathers match your hair after the molt. It's weird!"

Sakumo shook his head and listened with half an ear to his friend continuing to rant about his 'weird' teammate. He catelogued the various descriptions in the back of his head as always in case he somehow ran into Jiraiya's teammate without a proper introduction and had to guess their identity. Orochimaru, according to Jiraiya, had pasty pale skin, limp black hair, some natural purple markings around yellow eyes, a skinny body and now, the source of Jiraiya's current agitation, sleek wings with purple feathers.

"I still don't see why it's so surprising. Even if your teammate has a number of snakelike traits he's still human. Just as I am human with my wolf traits." Sakumo tested the edge of his tanto, humming in satisfaction at the sharpness. "And all humans have feathered wings." His own wings, light gray like his hair, shifted where they were folded against his back when he slid his tanto back into its sheathe tucked between them.

"But reptiles!" Jiraiya threw his hands in the air. "Reptiles aren't soft and fluffy they're scaly and cold and-"

"For someone who is contracted with amphibians you have the oddest hangup over cold-blooded creatures." Sakumo looked at Jiraiya and grinned.

"Hey! Toads are cute, snakes are...creepy. Just _creepy_."

"I think your bias comes from the fact that snakes _eat_ toads. Honestly from everything you've been ranting about, the only possible need for concern I can see is that your teammate only just finished the molt. He's our age isn't he?"

Jiraiya's cheeks puffed out, like an offended rain frog, but he nodded. "Yeah, Oro's seventeen same as me."

"That's very late to grow one's wings and complete a molt. It might be an indication of a health problem. _That_ is something to be concerned about instead of warbling about the fact that your teammate has feathered wings like _every other human being_." Sakumo's tone took on a light scold. 

Jiraiya waved that off with a , "Pfft! It's Orochimaru. Wouldn't surprise me if he found a way to delay the emergence just so it didn't happen while on a mission like it did for me and Tsunade. Too 'messy' for that fastidious little shit."

Sakumo opened his mouth to give Jiraiya a tongue lashing over his careless disregard of his teammate's health but before he could even make a sound, someone flew out of the trees and landed right behind Jiraiya and the _sight_ of him stole Sakumo's words and several brain cells.

He knew it had to be Orochimaru the second he saw him but Jiraiya's descriptions were certainly...inaccurate.

Rather than pasty, Orochimaru's skin was the color of fine porcelain and almost shone with health and vitality. The black hair wasn't limp at all but fell in such a sleek, smooth sheet that it looked like dark water. Yellow was entirely the wrong word for the eyes that were currently glaring at Jiraiya. Gold was far more accurate, a burnished shade that held a depth far beyond what simple yellow could denote.

His body was slim but obviously fit as any shinobi should be. Sakumo's eyes caught on the long, elegant column of Orochimaru's neck where magatama earrings brushed against the skin just above the turtleneck of the jonin uniform and he wanted to _whine_.

He probably would have if he hadn't looked beyond the gorgeous, ascetic face and seen the wings that had Jiraiya so discombobulated. He promptly lost even the breath to whimper. 

'Purple' simplified the beauty before him to a criminal low. 

Sakumo could tell that the base color of the feathers _was_ actually black but overlaying that Orochimaru's wings had an iridescent sheen that shifted from a delicate lavender to an intense violet depending on where and how the light caught. The color was alive, dancing as the sleek, angled wings twitched and flicked a little as Orochimaru spoke to Jiraiya.

Sakumo felt his own wings flare out a little but couldn't control the reaction in the face of something so...

"Lovely." The word came out on a whisper of air, barely audible even to him but it was apparently sound enough to draw the attention of both Jiraiya and his astounding teammate.

Jiraiya was frowing. "Sakumo? You alright there? You look like someone slapped you with a fish or something."

He snapped himself out of his stupor and did his best to will away the flush that wanted to crawl across his face and get control of his wings. Dear Gods he'd actually popped a _wing boner_ , if Dan ever heard about this he'd never live it down. He cleared his throat and pulled his wings in even as they wanted to spread and fluff up under the golden gaze flicking over him cooly. "I'm fine. Just...startled. I didn't sense your teammate approach."

Jiraiya huffed. "Yeah, Oro's good at that but for him to slide past your senses that's a new one." He beckoned Sakumo closer, utterly oblivious to his friend's internal upheaval.

Sakumo couldn't have kept himself from approaching the vision now that he had an invitation if there was a kunai at his throat. He didn't falter under the heavy slap on his shoulder from Jiraiya and offered a little smile.

"My teammate, Orochimaru. Oro, this is Hatake Sakumo."

Sakumo dipped slightly at the waist in a polite bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Orochimaru-san. Jiraiya speaks of you often."

Orochimaru made a soft snort. "I imagine he does. In complaints."

And oh, _oh_ that voice was simply unfair. Soft and a little husky with a biting undertone, Sakumo knew that voice was going to find him in his dreams. But he was a Sage-damned shinobi and could control himself in front of this vision even if he wanted to just flop belly up and beg for attention. He _would not_ embarrass himself. 

"Well...perhaps a little. As I understand it you only recently molted?"

Golden eyes narrowed and Orochimaru's chin tilted up a fraction in defensive pride. "Yes. I did."

"You've gained impressive control with your wings so soon to fly silently enough for my ears to miss it." Sakumo's smile warmed and grew. "Or maybe Jiraiya's voice just drowned the sound out."

A spark of humor flashed over Orochimaru's face and slim lips curled faintly in a smirk. "He's certainly loud enough. And _late_ ," he turned back to a now pouting Jiraiya with a vicious glare, "for team training."

Jiraiya lifted his hands placatingly. "Alright, alright. Let's go before Tsunade decides to hunt me down to put a dent in my head." He gave Sakumo a friendly wave and slung an arm around Orochimaru's shoulders. Then grunted when he got a sharp elbow in the gut for his trouble. "Cranky snake."

Sakumo watched Orochimaru sniff disdainfully before leaping into the air to take flight on those incredible wings followed by a bellowing Jiraiya and felt his heart turn over in his chest. Oh, he was in _trouble_.


	2. Not For Eating

Sakumo’s back fetched up against his mission partner’s as they were surrounded by enemy nin. “Well this is a complication.”

“Oh just a minor hiccup. Only a couple...dozen Kiri nin. We should be done in enough time to get back for dinner.” 

“And what did I say before?” Sakumo scanned the shinobi surrounding them, looking for a break in the line or other weakness they could use to escape.

“Alright, alright. Next time you swear you smell salt water I promise I’ll listen. I didn’t see why any Kiri nin would be around, not like our package is that special.”

“Apparently Kirigakure thinks otherwise.” Sakumo saw a very, very narrow opening. A hesitant shinobi, likely a rookie, not quite holding to formation. He rolled his shoulders. “Hey Dan?”

“Yeah?”

“Want to play kick the can?”

Teal eyes glanced over shoulders and wings and caught on the same opening Sakumo had seen. Dan made a soft snort. “Why the hell not? No one wants to live forever.”

Sakumo grinned wildly and began to shift his stance, readying himself. Then he caught a new scent on the air, one that pinged against a recent memory, and his eyes widened. He grabbed the back of Dan’s vest and threw him down to the ground, diving to safety himself just as a barrage of wind blades came cutting through the grass, striking several Kiri nin down, decapitating more than a few.

Sakumo looked up and saw a slim figure diving from the air on wings that looked almost black in the moonlight, a sword in hand that cut down another three of the enemy shinobi. He recognized Orochimaru easily, despite having not seen him since first meeting him two months previous. He’d had enough fantasies and dreams to know he would never mistake anyone else for Orochimaru.

The serpent summoner landed lightly, clad in regulation jonin gear, that amazing dark waterfall of hair pulled up into a long tail exposing his face and elegant neck, and spun to deflect a trio of shuriken with his sword in a beautiful economy of motion.

Sakumo got to his feet just in time to meet the attack of one of the remaining Kiri nin, blocking a longsword with his tanto in one hand, baring his teeth in a feral smile just as he channeled his chakra through his blade, the lightning nature of the chakra surging through it to the enemy’s sword, sending them flying back as they were electrocuted, hands left to smoke black on the palms.

He heard the flutter of wings and glanced over at Dan as he got to his feet. “More back up coming from the left.”

He leaped back in concert with Dan as a large toad fell from the sky, literally squashing one Kiri nin, followed by Jiraiya landing to cover Orochimaru’s back. 

“Hey Sakumo, fancy seeing you here.” Jiraiya grinned and spat flaming oil to cut off the retreat of the remaining Kiri shinobi. 

“What brings you to this neck of the woods?” Sakumo ducked under a panicked strike and kicked the attacker back into Dan’s kunai.

“Oh you know, just doing our duty, protecting our borders. Duck.”

Sakumo did just that as a green anaconda surged from the shadows to wrap inescapable coils around a shinobi trying to go at Orochimaru.

He heard another flutter and flipped out of the way as Tsunade dropped down from the sky like a boulder to drive her fist into another Kiri nin’s chest, breaking the ground beneath him.

She easily flapped her wings to right herself in enough time to catch the front of another enemy’s vest in one fist and used the other to punch him with enough force his skull shattered and blood and brain matter spattered the ground, her hand, and arm.

“Oh wow.” 

Sakumo looked over at Dan, who was staring at Tsunade in wide eyed wonder, then turned his attention back to the fight. Well the remains of the fight. There were only three Kiri nin left standing. He leaped in and took out one while Dan snapped to it to finish off another. 

Then he turned to see Orochimaru easily dispatching the final shinobi, slicing his sword through the air to shake off excess blood, looking clean and pristine in the moonlight. Not a speck of blood appeared on the pale skin, the feathers of his wings were still sleek and undisturbed.

Sakumo swallowed thickly as he watched Orochimaru turn his head to answer a question Jiraiya asked, the tendon of that glorious neck flexing a little as he spoke. Sakumo’s mouth went dry and he could  _ feel _ his wings flaring out again and tried desperately to get them back under control. He could only be grateful that Dan was too interested in Lady Tsunade to notice.

He’d just gotten his wings under control when he found himself pinned by a golden gaze that swept him from head to toe and stole his ability to form a coherent thought. His feathers ruffled a but, fluffing up to his embarrassment and it only got worse when Orochimaru spoke.

“Were you injured, Hatake-san?”

Sakumo had to swallow and talk himself out of melting. Orochimaru was not asking out of anything more than concern for a fellow Konoha shinobi. He cleared his throat to give himself a little more time to gather his scattered thoughts. “No. I don’t believe I have more than a few bruises, Orochimaru-san.”

A slim dark brow lifted. “Are you certain? In my experience skilled jonin rarely admit to being injured so as to save their pride.”

Sakumo’s lips twitched when that statement was accompanied but a quick glance at Jiraiya, who was roaming the bodies and retrieving extra weapons that could be used by them. “Very certain. We have a mission to complete and we would not manage to do so efficiently if I hid any injuries.”

“A rare, intelligent viewpoint.” Orochimaru drawled. “There may be hope for Konoha yet.”

He grinned, unable to help himself. “I tr-” he made a startled yelp when the anaconda suddenly appeared, slithering its way through the grass between his feet, forcing them further apart and unbalancing him so he fell over the snake’s thick back.

Then he had a snake’s face in front of his, the tongue flicking out, tasting the air he exhaled. 

“Er, hello?”

The snake seemed to...pout. “You’re not for eating.”

“I’m very happy to hear that, hebi-san, as I don’t particularly want to be eaten.”

“You smell of summoner’s home so you’re not for eating. I’m still  _ hungry _ .” Yes the snake was absolutely pouting.

“Ah.” Sakumo rubbed the back of his neck as he regained his feet. “It’s not much but I have a rabbit I caught earlier sealed, if you’d like?”

“Yessss,” the snake wriggled a bit, the long body undulating in eagerness.

He shrugged and took out the scroll and unsealed the rabbit, then had to move his hand out of the way  _ very _ quickly when the anaconda struck out for the rabbit, coiling around it as a matter of instinct before setting to devouring it.

He happened to glance up and over and saw Orochimaru had taken several steps forward, eyes faintly wider than before. “Is there a prob-”

“Hey, Sakumo.” Dan came up, avoiding the anaconda warily. “Jiraiya says we need to take a different route. There’s something brewing in the grasslands.”

Sakumo looked at Jiraiya and got a nod. “Classified then. What direction would be best?”

“Running the river.” Orochimaru was the one who answered. “It will get you back to Konoha faster as well.”

Sakumo inclined his head. “Running the river it is. Thank you, for the assistance and warning.”

“You’re welcome.” Something light moved in Orochimaru’s eyes along with faint surprise softening his face.

“C’mon boys.” Tsunade hooked an arm through Jiraiya’s and went over to Orochimaru. “We need to get back to our post.”

Orochimaru nodded, expression settling back into perfectly neutral lines. “Fumi, you should return.”

The anaconda yawned, stretching its jaw, then slithered up Sakumo’s body lazily to flick its tongue over his cheek. “I like you. You’re a good human.”

He lifted a hand to absently stroke over smooth scales. “Thank you. You should listen to your summoner, Fumi-san.”

“I like ‘Fumi-san’ you are absolutely not for eating.” Fumi rippled, muscles along the sinuous body tensing minutely so that it was almost a full body hug from the snake before it disappeared in a puff of jutsu smoke.

When it cleared, Sakumo met golden eyes filled with speculation just as Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade took to the air then vanished with powerful wing beats.

“So...” Dan drawled lightly, “you wanna talk about that wing boner earlier or- oof!” He laughed softly despite the hard elbow in the gut. “Let’s move lover wolf. I’ll pry it out of you once we’re home.”

  
“Nothing to pry.” Sakumo lied and ignored his friend’s shit eating grin in favor of taking off toward the river. He wanted to get home and wallow in his embarrassment. Would he ever  _ not _ make a fool of himself in front of Orochimaru?


	3. Wingman

“Come on you sad puppy.” Dan pushed Sakumo into the bar ahead of him. “We are going to have a couple drinks, maybe dance a little if we get loose enough, and then we are going to strategize.”

“I can get loose in the forest as well as I can here. No, actually I can get loose  _ easier _ in the forest. What are we strategizing?”

“Yeah but you can escape me in the forest, here I have the advantage and numerous other bodies blocking escape.” Dan shook his head at his friend. “We are going to come up with a plan for you to see your snakey crush again and impress him. You’ve been  _ moping _ since that mission and it’s been six months!”

“I haven’t been  _ moping _ . I’ve been brooding. And excuse me but who is the man waxing poetic about Tsunade-san’s muscles and, what was it? ‘Her golden tresses gleaming in the moonlight.’ Who was that again?” Sakumo looked over his shoulder at Dan, lifting a brow.

Dan flushed. “At least I admit my crush and my mooning. Besides can you blame me? She could crush me with her pinkie. She’s amazing.”

“Are you sure you aren’t related to the Uchiha clan at all?” Sakumo didn’t relax, he wasn’t a fan of bars and the loud crowds inside them, but he stopped fighting Dan’s push. 

“Ha! No. I don’t want her to crush me with her pinkie, I just admire that she  _ could _ . That kind of strength is amazing. If we’re talking attraction to lethal people, look in the mirror too of friend of mine.” 

Sakumo grinned, stout fangs catching the dim lights. “I’m a wolf.”

“Which is why the puppy eyed mooning is driving me nuts. So we’ll just work out a way to-”

“Hey! Sakumo! Dan!” 

The familiar voice lifted above the din of the bar and had them turning to see Jiraiya standing at the back bar, waving at them, his humongous wings taking up too much room as usual.

“Come on over!”

“Well look who’s back in town. If Jiraiya is that means you might get to see your snake.” Dan murmured for Sakumo’s ears only as they began winding their way through the crowd.

“He isn’t mine, Dan.” Sakumo responded.

“But you wish he was.” Dan pat Sakumo’s shoulder. “So we’ll see what we can- oooh.” The near cooing breath slid out of him as Jiraiya shifted just enough to allow them to see the kunoichi sitting just behind where Jiraiya and his wings were keeping the crowd back.

Sakumo’s lips twitched at the ruffling feathers of Dan’s periwinkle wings when he spotted Tsunade. Not a wing boner but an obvious indication of how Dan felt about the Lady Tsunade. “Steady on, Dan.”

“If you laugh I’m volunteering us for the next guano mission.” Dan whispered back as they got close enough to hear Jiraiya without him shouting.

“Terrifying.” Sakumo drawled then smiled at Jiraiya. “When did you get back?”

“Yesterday. We all crashed and we’ve got a week to rest and enjoy home. Tsunade-hime and I talked Oro out with us tonight.” Jiraiya shifted to turn to the bartender and the huge eagle wings moved just enough to reveal the final member of Jiraiya’s team just as Sakumo registered the name.

He was expecting the way his wings flared out to impress and the complete death of coherent thought by now, but the soft growl was new. But what else was he supposed to do when he saw Orochimaru sitting just behind his teammates, that amazing hair pinned up in an elegant twist, a simple lavender yukata clothing the beautifully lean body, wings tucked neatly against his back catching the bar lights in violet flashes, and that long, glorious neck exposed to the world.

Sakumo wanted to get his teeth on that neck and nip a mark onto it, wanted to nuzzle in and breathe deep to memorize Orochimaru’s scent, wanted rub his own scent into the porcelain skin so anyone with the senses would  _ know _ that-

“Here,” Dan pushed a sake cup into Sakumo’s hand, ignoring the growl that neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade had heard, snapping his friend out of the animalistic instinct he’d suddenly sunk into.

Sakumo sucked in a sharp breath and wrenched his thoughts back into line, blinking. Dear Gods he’d slipped right into the primal part of himself. That was bigger trouble than he’d thought. He snapped his wings back in and realized that golden eyes were on him, studying him sharply. 

He coughed, trying to cover his lapse. “My apologies. Bars leave me out of sorts.” He bowed his head. “Orochimaru-san, Tsunade-san.”

Jiraiya heaved a little sigh and shifted one wing, using it to sweep Sakumo behind him over where Orochimaru was sitting. “Another one. Well you can keep Oro company. Tsunade-hime just doesn’t want to be interrupted enough to punch an idiot through the roof, Oro dislikes the whole scene.”

Sakumo barely kept the strangled yelp from escaping. Oh this was  _ dangerous _ to be so near the one who stirred all his instincts down to the core. He took a bracing sip of sake and offered Orochimaru a faint, apologetic smile. “I don’t mind, if you feel the need for company.”

Those clever eyes studied him in a way that felt like having layers pulled back before the thin, pretty lips curved in a faint smirk. “As I doubt you will be shouting or pushing drunkenly into my space, I believe I can stand your company.”

Sakumo moved to sit on Orochimaru’s opposite side from Tsunade. “Are you referring to the random people in the bar or Jiraiya?”

The smirk became a wicked grin. “Jiraiya isn’t drunk enough to be objectionable,” he paused meaningfully, “yet.”

“Oh I like that. Next time you can use your own wings to ward off the unwanted attention.” Jiraiya snorted, drinking from his own cup.

Dan settled on a stool between Jiraiya and Tsunade. “Is that the system? Using the big lug’s wings to chase people off?”

Tsunade grinned and nodded when Jiraiya noticed someone coming over then turned, huge wings flaring as though in excited happiness, knocking the intruder back and then he helped them up and dusted them off, apologizing and buying them a round before sending them on their way in a daze. “It usually works to prevent violence.”

“Jiraiya has his uses.” Orochimaru agreed, leaning an elbow on the bar.

“No respect. I get none from my dearest friends and teammates.” Jiraiya lamented. 

“Ah you know we love you, you big idiot.” Tsunade tugged lightly on the fluffy tail of hair.

Sakumo smiled into his sake cup. “When you forget to be a pervert or idiot, you’re very endearing.” He heard Orochimaru chuckle beside him and inside felt like a pup that had just caught his first kill, bringing it home to show off. He’d made Orochimaru  _ laugh _ . Pride and happiness completely disproportionate to the situation filled him.

Jiraiya gave him a glare that was more playful than anything as Tsunade cackled. “You’re not funny, Hatake.”

“You thought I was hilarious when I helped you convince the missions office that the Inuzuka were best suited to take the pig transport mission.” Sakumo smiled placidly at Tsunade choking on her sake and did his best to keep his wings from flaring at the impressed expression that crossed Orochimaru’s face. His feathers still ruffled and fluffed but his wings stayed tucked in place behind his back.

Jiraiya grinned and laughed. “Yeah that was a good one.”

“How,” Orochimaru’s voice was smooth and slow, “did you manage that?”

Sakumo tapped his nose, his smile turning playful. “There aren’t many in the missions office with an enhanced sense of smell so it’s easy enough to convince them that those of us who have it can control what we do and do not smell and that we can scent danger even above the stench of pigs being hauled in a wagon. And since I already  _ had _ a mission, that left the Inuzuka.”

“It was glorious. I thought old Koga was going to have a heart attack when he was given the mission.” Jiraiya snickered.

Orochimaru turned toward Sakumo a little more, fully facing him. “So that rumor is true, that the Hatake have heightened senses?”

Sakumo nodded. “Smell and hearing. Which is why you so surprised me the day I met you. You’re almost silent on your wings. It’s impressive as your wings are built more for maneuverability than silent flight.”

Orochimaru tilted his head, one side of his neck stretching a bit, the tendon a little more pronounced. “Do you study wings, Hatake-san?”

He wanted to groan at the display of neck, his eyes flicking briefly to the pale expanse before wrenching back up. “No more than any other wise shinobi studies them. Knowing the difference between a gull’s wings and an eagle can mean the difference between life and death.”

“True enough, yet many do not ascribe to that wisdom.” Orochimaru flicked a glare off to the side.

Sakumo moved without thought, one wing sweeping out automatically in response to that glance, instincts telling him to block whatever might be displeasing his...interest. It was only when he felt the body his wing sent flying back against the wall that he turned to look. 

There was a shinobi, very drunk, now sliding down that wall, tweety birds circling his head, two glasses broken on the ground on either side of him, his friends hurrying over to help him up and out of the bar.

“Quick reflexes.” Orochimaru murmured while Jiraiya snickered behind him and Tsunade hooted.

“Reflex is accurate.” Sakumo ran the tail of his hair through his hand. “If I’d realized what was happening I’d have aimed better.”

A slim black brow rose. “How so?”

Sakumo resettled his wings and nodded at the shinobi playing with suiton on the dance floor. “Seems to me he needs to be shocked back to his senses.”

Speculation filled golden eyes as they traced over Sakumo’s wings. He fought not to spread them and show off for that gaze.

“Your wings are that powerful?” 

Dan snorted. “Not to poke my nose in but tossing the drunk idiot onto the dance floor is child's play for Sakumo. If he’d wanted to, he could have tossed him right out the door.”

“Hmm,” those eyes trailed over Sakumo’s wings again. “Perhaps, when we’re next in the village at the same time, we might have a sparring match. I’d be interested in seeing what your wings can do.”

Sakumo couldn’t have kept his wings from flaring just a bit if he’d hand a kunai at his throat and he saw golden eyes widen, a flash of realization in them. He cleared his throat and tried to make it look as though he wasn’t a savage without any manners. “I-I would like that. Very much, Orochimaru-san. I-”

“Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru-sama!” A chunin came running toward them, a scroll in one hand.

Jiraiya sleeked his wings down and straightened, turning from the big buffoon to the shinobi he actually was. “Damnit.”

“My apologies.” The chunin came to a panting stop in front of them. “But Hokage-sama requests your presence, urgently.”

Orochimaru rose to his feet, irritation flashing over his face before smoothing it into calm lines, and took the scroll, breaking the seal and reading quickly. He hissed in irritation. “We’ll be there shortly once we change into uniform.”

Tsunade sighed and hopped off the stool. “So much for a week's rest.”

Sakumo almost snarled at the interruption but kept it in. 

“Job hazard.” Jiraiya reached out to clasp arms with Sakumo. “See you around. Don’t get killed on a mission.”

“I don’t plan to. Same goes.” Sakumo squeezed Jiraiya’s arm lightly before letting go and bowing to Tsunade and then Orochimaru. “I hope to see you again soon.”

Orochimaru swept him with a look. “I’ll find you next time we’re in the same place at the same time.” Then he turned and left with his team and Sakumo sank back onto his bar stool, hand over his heart and the ache that was already settling there. 

Dan caught the bartender’s eye and ordered a full bottle of sake to go. “Well. The wolf’s all in is it?”

Sakumo blew out a hard breath. “In spades. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw Orochimaru-san the first time. I didn’t expect it to be  _ that _ much trouble.” 

“Well, I guess there’s only one thing you can do.” Dan took the bottle from the bartender.

“And that is?” Sakumo asked.

“For tonight, get drunk and howl at the moon. Tomorrow, after the hangover, you work on getting even stronger and make plans to ask Orochimaru-san for permission to court him.” Dan slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go get you blitzed in the woods.”

Sakumo laughed lightly and stood, bumping his shoulder against Dan’s. “Thank you. For this and for talking me up.”

Dan grinned. “Just doing my duty as your,” his grin widened, “wingman.”

Sakumo groaned at the terrible joke and walked out of the bar with his friend. 

One fortunate glance up afforded him the sight of Orochimaru, in uniform, running silhouetted across the rooftops to Hokage Tower alongside his teammates. He could only hope and pray that it wouldn’t be the last he ever saw of the one his wolf wanted as mate.


	4. Seven Years Worth The Wait

“Do you ever think Sandaime-sama is a little bit of a sadist?” 

Sakumo didn’t bother to glance over at Dan as he threw a now dead enemy over his shoulder to knock another off their feet. “Is this about losing furlough time?”

“I had a slot at the Lotus Onsen. The  _ Lotus _ . It takes months to get a slot at The Lotus and they don’t hold your spot if you’re called off on a mission. You have to get on the wait list again! Damn you and your reputation that just  _ had _ to be sent on this damned mission, White Fang.”

Sakumo laughed, driving a kunai up under the jaw of a kunoichi that tried to sneak up on him then twisting so her throat was ripped out, kicking her away and dashing to cut down another small group of enemy shinobi. “Oh yes all my fault. Sandaime-sama would never want The Living Spirit to be sent on an infiltration mission.”

“Bite me.” Dan easily snapped the neck of one opponent, disemboweled another, grabbed the wing of another and used the grip to smash their head into a nearby boulder. “Why did we train to become elite again?”

Sakumo used his own wings to crack the skulls of two shinobi that tried to sneak up on him, the joints breaking bone with a little chakra enhancement, snapped a third’s arm like a twig before driving the man’s own weapon into his heart. “I believe you mentioned something about saving others from being necessary on the front lines.”

“Did I?” Dan leaped up, his wings flapping once to give a little more of a push, and brought his heel down on the head of his last opponent, knocking them out and to the ground before he stomped on their throat to collapse their trachea. “Sounds more like wolf thinking.”

“You did.” Sakumo flipped up and over two charging shinobi, threw shuriken to hit them in the brainstem, then caught the final enemy around the neck with his ankles and bore them down to the ground, breaking their neck in the process. He grabbed the now dead shinobi’s bandana and used it to wipe blood off his hands. “But I think that was just your way of convincing Kohari to put up with us.”

“Oh yeah.” Dan wiped his own hands on his final opponent’s vest before starting the gruesome job of rummaging through the corpse’s pockets, pouches, and anywhere else they might be hiding something useful. “She didn’t buy it.”

Sakumo chuckled again as he did the same as his friend. “No. No, she didn’t. In fact she paid for your lunch that day because she felt sorry for you.”

Dan huffed. “She should have been paying for your lunch, sad puppy that you were.” 

“Thankfully you have been the only witness to my complete lack of control around Orochimaru-san.” Sakumo was positive that should their kunoichi teammate witness him having a wing boner in front of Orochimaru, he’d expire from the embarrassment. 

“I especially enjoyed you knocking the cabbage vendor’s cart over when you saw him running the roofs with his team last year.” Dan snickered.

“Oh good, then I don’t have to feel badly for laughing at you walking into the lamp post when you saw Tsunade-san throw that pickpocket into the dumpster three months ago.” Sakumo grinned at Dan’s squawk.

“How can you blame me?! Those  _ arms _ .” Dan sighed dreamily. “I wish the daimyos would get their heads out of their asses and reach a truce already. Or just chill a little. Just enough that we could be in the village at the same time long enough that I can have a  _ conversation _ with Tsunade-san.” Dan flicked a look at Sakumo. “And so you could have that spar.”

“If Orochimaru-san still wishes to.” Sakumo murmured. “That was almost seven years ago and he’s gained quite a following.” He hated hearing the lustful whispers from various shinobi over Orochimaru once he and his team were named the Densetsu no Sannin by Hanzo. It was  _ insulting _ to the strength, loyalty, and beauty that Orochimaru possessed for the majority of shinobi to only become interested once he gained renown and it made Sakumo want to rip body parts off of the offending fools. He only controlled himself because that would be just as disrespectful and he would  _ never _ act as though Orochimaru was anything but the lethal, capable,  _ brilliant _ beauty he was.

“Eh I can’t see why the glory-chasers would be a problem, not like he’ll look twice at any of them. Besides I’m pretty sure the first time one of his snakes appear the chasers will run away like the nervous chickens they are.” 

Sakumo had to chuckle. “True enough. I can’t believe how stupid they are to be so afraid of the summons of a fellow Konoha shinobi. They really should be put into remedial classes at the Academy to fix that.”

Dan grinned. “I will  _ pay _ you to suggest that to the Hokage.”

Sakumo snorted lightly. “That’s A-rank pay, minimum and you don’t have that to spare.”

“Too true. Suggest it for the good of Konoha?” Dan moved to another body.

Sakumo tilted his head, his wings shifting a little as he considered, then he returned Dan’s grin. “I expect you to provide the escape route.”

“Done!” Dan knew that expression on his friend’s face. It was one of his predator looks, the one Sakumo got when his patience with lousy tactics and commands had hit its limit. It might result in an insubordination report but it would  _ also _ be one hell of a show to watch Sakumo tell the Sandaime off. Not to mention Sakumo was too valuable a shinobi for more than a slap on the wrist for insubordination.

\--------------------------------

Sakumo tossed his shirt down on top of his belongings, set the protective seals, and stretched his wings out and arched his back in the early morning light, loosening the last of his muscles in preparation for his morning run. It had been too long since he’d been able to indulge in a good run, all the back to back missions devouring the time he normally used for it. But at last he had the time and space.

He, Dan, and Kohari actually had a guaranteed furlough, barring genuine emergencies, thanks to his ‘suggestion’ to the Hokage about remedial training for any shinobi treating summons of their fellows with distrust. The Sandaime had stared for a long minute before looking away from his stare and preparing the paperwork for an uninterrupted furlough, excusing the insubordination as being from exhaustion. They all knew otherwise but he’d made his point and gotten his team some desperately needed rest time.

And now he was finally able to visit training ground 44 for a nice morning run again. He shook his wings, settling the feathers, and lifted his face a bit to catch the scents in the area, listening to the rustling among the trees and underbrush that was the wildlife moving about. A smile curved his mouth and then he sprang into motion, dropping from the tree branch he’d perched on to land on the forest floor, where what was most dangerous among the beasts of the forest waited.

He narrowly avoided a tigress as it leapt from a bush, flipped up and over the striped back, growled right back at the cat before knocking it away with a wing, careful not to seriously wound it. This was as much her forest as it was his but he was not prey and would make certain she understood that if necessary.

The tigress shook herself then padded back into the underbrush with a disgruntled chuff, allowing him to move on in his forest run.

He grinned as his feet landed soundlessly among the leaf litter, rapid steps propelling him through the thick vegetation as he took an unused path through the trees. Sweat gleamed on his bare torso, his body seeking to cool itself from the light exertion.

He heard a rustle from above and caught the scent of dry skin and pondweed just in time to leap away from the heavy body that dropped down from the treetops. He braced himself to growl something else away then blinked at the familiar green scales that coiled in a heap where he’d been a moment ago. “Fumi-san?”

The snake’s head lifted, tongue flicking out in his direction and then she made a delighted hiss. “Wolf-human!” She slithered closer, looking much larger than she had seven years previous. “You’re in our forest. Hello!”

Sakumo didn’t shy away from that flicking tongue when it brushed his cheek. “Hello, Fumi-san. What brings you here?”

“Hunting.” Fumi slid closer, circling around Sakumo before resting her head lightly on his shoulder, large dark bronze eyes looking at him with bright excitement. “Are you hunting wolf-human?”

He automatically moved his arm up to give her massive head a little more support. He absently ran his other hand down over the smooth scales. “Not this morning. I was taking a run for exercise, to enjoy the forest and being home. Does your snake clan live here?”

Before Fumi could answer another voice spoke from above him. “They do not.”

Sakumo felt his wings flaring the second he heard that husky voice, lifting and displaying even before he looked up to see Orochimaru crouched on the branch Fumi had dropped from. As was the usual his brain stuttered and he felt his breath leave him. 

The incredible violet wings curved down, framing Orochimaru as the sunlight filtered through the leaves to dance over his skin. The hair Sakumo wanted to get his hands in to see if it was as silky as it looked was neatly pinned up and out of the way. A simple short yukata layered over a turtleneck that hid the throat that destroyed Sakumo’s control from view.

Golden eyes watched him, tracing over his wings, thin perfect lips tilting up at the corners, then Orochimaru jumped down to land in front of him. 

“I spend time in the forest with my smaller summons when I can. They enjoy hunting here.” He tilted his head, peering up at Sakumo with a sly, knowing smile, one magatama earring brushing the corner of his jaw. “Hello, Sakumo.”

Sakumo swallowed the lump in his throat and strangled the leap his wolf made at that teasing display. It was deliberate, it had to be. “Orochimaru-san, it’s good to see you again.”

The smile grew. “And for more than glimpses in the market, I imagine.”

He felt his cheeks heat but didn’t duck his head or hide behind his wings like he wanted to do. Instead he offered a sheepish smile. “I’m grateful for even small glimpses but yes, it’s  _ very _ good to have more time.” He heard a soft shhshing sound and realized it came from Fumi. He glanced over at the snake, saw humor in her eyes, and twigged to the fact that she was laughing at him.

He huffed a small laugh of his own and stroked her scales again. “I think you may be a menace, Fumi-san.”

“Of course I am wolf-human.” She bumped her snout against his cheek. “I’m good at being a menace.”

“Uncommonly talented, indeed.” Orochimaru drawled.

When Sakumo looked back at him the knowing, sly smile was a little softer at the edges and the golden eyes were on his hand petting Fumi. “Are you back in the village for long, Orochimaru-san?”

Orochimaru’s expression grew wicked. “Interestingly enough when we returned last night, Hokage-sama insisted we take a full furlough. He mentioned realizing that his elites needed rest but when Jiraiya ran into Katou-san he gave another interpretation.” Amusement flashed through Orochimaru’s eyes. “I can admit to disappointment that I was not here to witness your performance.”

His laugh this time was full and warm. “Well, I can’t turn back time but I’ve been known to bite at the hand that feeds me if the meal is unhealthy now and then.”

“Clearly I will need to spend more time around you then.” Orochimaru’s eyes slid down to take in the bare, muscled chest and his lips pursed faintly. “Yes, I do believe there are multiple benefits to shadowing you, wolf.”

His feathers fluffed and he only narrowly managed to keep from puffing his chest up at the appreciative gaze. To have the one he wanted to court as his mate looking at him,  _ approving _ of what he saw made his instincts growl in satisfaction and pride. “Feel free to find me any time you wish.”

“Oh,” Orochimaru’s smile showed teeth, including a set of delicate looking fangs, “I intend to. As a matter of fact, I believe we have a sparring match scheduled.”

His own fangs flashed in his grin, excitement and relief building in his belly. “We do. Tomorrow?”

“Hmm,” Orochimaru angled his head again, just enough that the tendon of his neck stretched, flashing a bit above his turtleneck. He felt more than heard a subvocal growl only because he was looking for it. “Tomorrow is satisfactory. I don’t intend to hold back, Sakumo.”

Yes, the display of that tempting neck was  _ clearly _ on purpose and Sakumo’s wolf was both pleased and frustrated in the best way. He took a single step forward, just enough that he could breath in the scent of wisteria, venom, and sun hot skin that was inherent to Orochimaru. He tilted his head down the two centimeter difference in their height, angling his chin to allow his own throat to flash and the slight widening of golden eyes was  _ exactly _ the reaction he was hoping for. “Good. I’ve been looking forward to just that.”

Orochimaru’s lips parted briefly, drawing in a slow, deep breath before his eyes narrowed in challenge. “Training ground twelve at noon then. We’ll see if you can keep up.” He reached out and lifted Fumi off Sakumo’s shoulder.

“You’ll find, Orochimaru-san, that wolves have amazing stamina.” Sakumo reached out slowly, telegraphing his move, and plucked up a small leaf that had caught on the neat knot of shiny black hair. He was careful not to actually touch Orochimaru’s hair, he didn’t have  _ permission _ for that after all, only catching the leaf in his fingers. He twirled the leaf between thumb and forefinger in explanation. 

Orochimaru stepped back, the innuendo and proximity making his heart beat a little faster and heat spread over his cheeks. “I look forward to you proving that. Enjoy your run, Sakumo.” He vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Sakumo waited until he was fairly certain Orochimaru had truly left, then he tossed his head back and howled with exhilaration.


	5. Trouble of the Romantic Sort

Excitement thrummed in Sakumo’s veins as he walked along the dirt path that lead to training grounds six through twelve. He’d prepared for a spar that would stretch his abilities as far as they could go and been holding himself back from bolting to training ground twelve early for hours now. Noon was ten minutes away and at his easy pace he would reach it in five minutes. Just enough time ahead to be respectful without not looking like an overeager fool.

He turned down the fork that went to twelve then jumped back when a warning skittered down his spine, just barely catching the sensation of chakra as another shinobi dropped down in front of him.

Soft brown wings fluttered a bit before they folded down neatly against the kunoichi’s back and eyes that matched the feathers’ color met Sakumo’s. “And where are you going with that little grin on your face?”

“Kohari.” He laughed lightly. “What are  _ you _ doing trying to ambush me?”

“I asked my question first.” She cocked her head, smirking at him. 

“I have an...appointment.” He could already feel his wings fluffing up a little as he thought of the spar awaiting him. 

“You mean your pretty snake is finally in town.” She grinned at his widening eyes. “You didn’t think for even one second I didn’t notice you  _ and _ Dan being pinfeathers over primaries did you? You walked into a _cabbage cart_ .” She angled so that he could pass by her and fell into step by his side.

“....I may have hoped Dan’s feelings for Tsunade-san would distract you from...”

“From your pining? Not a chance my friend.” She shook her head, the hair brushing her cheeks swaying with the movement. “You were quiet about it but I  _ know _ you as well as I do Dan. You’re my idiots after all.”

“So you’re...coming to watch?” Sakumo angled his head faintly.

“I wasn’t planning on it. I know Jiraiya,” she rolled her eyes, “and know  _ of _ Tsunade-hime, but I haven’t seen or heard anything but unsavory rumors from superstitious and bigoted idiots about Orochimaru-san. I want to meet him, get a sense of him.” She slid a look over at Sakumo. “You’re old enough to make your own decisions so I won’t interfere but we’re family. I have to get a look at the pretty snake already holding your heart in his hands.” 

He ducked his head as she lifted a hand and allowed her to ruffle his hair, smiling sheepishly. “Fair enough.”

“Mmhmm.” She chuckled and tucked her hands in her pockets after the ruffle, passing the rest of the walk in comfortable silence until they reached training ground twelve.

Sakumo scanned the training ground. He lifted his chin a bit and sniffed the air, turning when he caught the faintest touch of wisteria and venom to the right.

Orochimaru almost seemed to melt out of the shadow of an apex ladder, hair put up in a neat tail, wearing a short yukata for a shirt over mesh armor and standard issue trousers, wings catching the light and gleaming purple where they were folded comfortably against his back.

Sakumo swallowed the whine he wanted to make at the sight of that  _ neck _ , slender and bare to the eye. His wings flared up, as they always did on the first sight of Orochimaru, but he settled them again quickly enough.

Golden eyes swept over the large gray wings as Sakumo got them under control, a flicker of satisfaction sweeping through them, before turning to the kunoichi. “A referee, Sakumo?”

“Ah. No.” Sakumo’s cheeks were a little pink over the behavior of his unruly wings. “This is my other teammate, Kawano Kohari. She wanted to meet you.”

Kohari met Orochimaru’s eyes steadily, her feet planted and her expression calmly neutral. She held the eye contact for a long, silent moment until a slim black brow lifted. Then she bent in a bow exactly the proper degree of depth demanded by etiquette. “Orochimaru-san, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Amused respect flashed over Orochimaru’s face as he returned the bow. “Kawano-san. It is a pleasure to meet the third of Sakumo’s team.”

Sakumo watched them both straighten from their bows to study each other for a long moment then saw Kohari’s lips curve.

“I’ll let you two get to it.” She turned to thump the back of her hand against Sakumo’s bicep. “Have fun.” She nodded to Orochimaru then spread her wings to take flight, leaving them alone.

Orochimaru slid his gaze back to Sakumo and a smirk tilted one side of his mouth up, his head tilting so one earring brushed the side of his throat. “Ready, wolf?”

Sakumo’s eyes followed that earring but he swallowed the hungry growl and met Orochimaru’s eyes, his feathers fluffing up briefly before settling. “Oh I’m ready. Anything in particular you’d like to make off limits, Orochimaru-san?”

“Hmm,” that serpentine gaze dropped to look Sakumo over more thoroughly and slowly raked back up, snagging on the tanto for a short moment. A sly challenge flicked through Orochimaru’s eyes as he drawled, “No. I don’t believe there is  _ anything _ off limits.”

Sakumo would have choked on his tongue at the innuendo if it wasn’t for just how quickly it got his wolf blood up. Instead he grinned, slowly, his fangs showing off not just his own status as a predator on par with Orochimaru but responding to the challenge with one of his own. A silent question of whether Orochimaru could handle the wolf as well as he could handle the snake.

Golden eyes widened and heated and a brief flash of a fanged smile was the answer just as Orochimaru moved.

Sakumo spun, avoiding the first, half-hearted attack testing his reflexes, and hooked his hand in the back of Orochimaru’s yukata top to yank him off balance. 

Orochimaru threw his weight back with the force of the pull, flipped up and back, his foot aiming for Sakumo’s jaw. It missed as his opponent dodged, just enough to avoid the blow, releasing his shirt and choosing to drop, sweeping his feet out to knock Orochimaru’s hands from the ground, ruining the flip.

Sakumo just grinned wider when Orochimaru used his wings instead to create enough force to right himself until he was on his feet again. “I thought we were going all out,” he teased, “are you holding back on me even after promising you wouldn’t?” He pretended to pout. “I should be insulted.”

The vicious glare that prompted made his heart leap and the wolf he carried in his blood howl happily.

“I suppose that is correct, Sakumo. I should  _ hate _ to be anything but a shinobi of my word,” Orochimaru hissed and flashed through handsigns, taking to the air just as he released a Daitoppa.

Sakumo growled, planting his feet, and snapped his wings out and forward, using a little chakra to split the force of wind attempting to blow him off his feet. It was less effective for him than it would be for someone with fire nature chakra but it worked well enough that he could catch a sense of what was coming at him. 

He pulled his tanto free and spun, using it to block the katana that slashed down at him from above. He met the haughty gaze of Orochimaru and grinned at him. He twisted, lashing out with one wing as Orochimaru overbalanced with the sudden lack of resistance. The wing slammed into Orochimaru and sent him tumbling several yards away before his own wings flared to catch him.

Orochimaru pushed off one of the obstacle walls with his feet, adding force to the leap with his wings and cut down, his katana deflected with the tanto just enough that he barely caught a few strands of silver hair.

He nipped his thumb and swept it down his arm, calling up two of his snakes to occupy Sakumo while he snuck up behind him. A grin caught him off guard when, not only did Sakumo avoid being caught by the constrictors, he turned in time to block Orochimaru’s attack. The wolf certainly had skills.

Sakumo channeled just enough chakra through his tanto that Orochimaru felt it in a little buzz and jerked back, then he winked at his lovely opponent and flicked a kunai to the side.

Orochimaru’s eyes followed the path and he hissed out a curse, taking to the air just in time to avoid the trap that was sprung, a chakra enforced net snapping up and around his snakes. When had Sakumo set that trap?

Oh this was getting  _ good _ .

* * *

Several minutes, a few dozen jutsu, an entire training ground of wrecked equipment, six trapped snake summons, four wolf summons collapsed on the sidelines too tired to move, and some missing gray feathers later found Orochimaru and Sakumo in a stand-off.

Sakumo’s tanto was held against the delicate skin of Orochimaru’s throat, just shy of drawing blood, and the point of Orochimaru’s kusanagi was poised to slice into Sakumo’s belly with the slightest effort. Both ninja were panting and flushed from the exertion and neither could look away from the other’s eyes.

Sakumo’s wings were up and spread wide, a more blatant display of their strength and health, despite the missing feathers, than the other times he’d seen Orochimaru. He was more certain than ever that this incredibly strong, clever,  _ sneaky _ beauty was everything he could want or need in a mate.

Orochimaru read the heat, the sincere _ want _ in the stormy gray eyes clearly and, though he’d been well aware that this man had remained interested in him and no other in the years since the bar, he was surprised to see just how  _ much _ desire those eyes held. He couldn’t remember anyone ever truly wanting him for... _ anything _ . Even his teammates had not initially wanted him around, though they’d created an odd little family since their time as genin.

Yet this wolf in human skin wanted him, and had done so from the first from all he’d managed to dig out of both Jiraiya and Katou Dan. Wanted him even knowing exactly how dangerous, and venomous, he was. Orochimaru wasn’t entirely certain what to do with that knowledge but he knew he didn’t want to put an end to this.

He flicked his tongue over his lips, and felt the subvocal growl that sent a rush of excitement down his spine. “Shall we call this a draw then?”

“I’d call that fair.” Sakumo waited for the slight nod, he would  _ not _ put it past this lovely sneak to trick him before a full agreement, then eased his tanto away from Orochimaru’s neck to slide it home in its sheath between his wings. His eyes slipped down to watch a drop of sweat dribble down the pale column to the collar of the mesh shirt and  _ wanted _ to follow the path with his mouth.

Orochimaru pulled his katana away from Sakumo and took a step back. Wanting to see Sakumo’s reaction, he tilted his head back and swallowed his sword back to the space seal at the back of his throat he kept it in.

Sakumo was  _ positive _ several of his brain cells died at the image of Orochimaru’s neck arched back as he swallowed a  _ sword _ without any difficulty whatsoever. He knew his feathers puffed up, the white shafts a little more visible than normal, in the gooseflesh reaction the sight gave him, to say nothing of the way his wolf was whining in his head. By the Sage that sight was more dangerous than the blade itself.

Orochimaru missed  _ none _ of that reaction and satisfaction curled in his belly as he finished putting kusanagi away and rolling his neck to fully settle everything back into place. He smirked at Sakumo, eyes following the flare of his wings, then walked over to free his snakes from the nets they’d been caught in. “You’re very good.”

“Thank you.” Sakumo straightened a little bit, pride fluttering his wings and puffing his chest out a bit at the compliment. “I’ve worked hard to become so.” 

He wandered over to help free the snakes, one hand smoothing gently over abraded scales of one that had been pressed against the netting by his fellows. “Do your scales hurt?”

The large red viper shifted so he coiled up, tongue flicking out to brush against Sakumo’s wrist, inspecting the human touching him. The triangular head lifted so it was snout to nose with Sakumo, tongue still flicking. 

After several long moments the snake made a long, drawn out hiss. “No. You’re a tricky human, I’m not sure I like you.”

Sakumo’s lips twitched faintly. “I can’t blame you for that.”

“Hmph!” The giant red viper looked to Orochimaru. “Do you need me any longer, Summoner?”

Orochimaru shook his head, his own hands smoothing over the scale of the snakes he’d freed, rubbing under their jaws. “No, you can return home, Akeru.”

The viper made a grumbling sound and flicked the end of his tail at his eyes then at Sakumo before poofing away. The rest of the snake summons and the wolf summons left soon after, leaving Sakumo and Orochimaru alone in the wrecked training ground.

Sakumo turned his head and found himself under the regard of warm gold eyes. “Orochimaru-san?”

“You are very good about my summons. Few are so comfortable with them.” Orochimaru walked over to where Sakumo remained crouched.

He stood slowly, eyes on Orochimaru’s face. “I like your summons, those I’ve met so far. I don’t see any reason to be uncomfortable just because they’re a different breed of predator from me.” 

“You are an interesting soul, Hatake Sakumo.” 

He braced himself for a possible rejection and asked, “Interesting enough to have dinner with?” 

The question caught him off guard, just enough that Orochimaru blinked slowly in surprise, but he recovered quickly. “Dinner. Is that all you wish, Sakumo?”

Sakumo took a deep breath to still his nerves. “I wish to court you, Orochimaru-san. You call to me, to  _ all _ of me,” he pressed a fist in the center of his chest, “and have since I first met you. If you allow it, I want to court you in the way of my clan.”

Orochimaru felt his breath catch. That was certainly more than he’d expected. What Sakumo was asking, what he was offering was so much more than the simple wish for a short term affair. Courtship, especially clan courtship, was no idle offer. It meant a desire for  _ forever _ . 

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that but a long buried part of him wanted it. 

He reached up and pulled out the tie keeping his hair up, letting it fall around his face so he could partially hide behind the black curtain. He heard the soft whine that was quickly swallowed by the wolf asking to court him and that let him make a small decision.

“I can agree to dinner and we can...discuss what Hatake Courtship entails. I won’t make any decisions without all the information and time to consider it.”

Sakumo beamed, delight on his face. “I’m grateful you’re willing to hear me out. Where would you like to have dinner?”

That smile was  _ ridiculously _ endearing and Orochimaru had a feeling he might, possibly, already be deeper in trouble of the romantic sort than he initially thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kohari is the future Umino Kohari, mother of Iruka, but she's still single and hasn't yet met Ikkaku. There's no info on wikia about her rank but in this fic she's a jonin and is the common sense of the three man team she, Dan, and Sakumo form.


End file.
